The Women's College Basketball season is officially over, and luckily for you, there isn’t a long wait to see these stars again, as the WNBA Draft is this Monday, April 15th. Superstars like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso have a quick turnaround as they played in the National Championship on April 7th, and have just 8 days since then to prepare for draft day. The WNBA season also tips off on May 14th, so these young stars need to be ready to produce in the league one month from now. Not all 12 WNBA teams have a first round pick, as the Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky, and Dallas Wings all have two first rounders. All the teams that do have a first rounder will have a real chance to change their fortunes as this is one of the best draft classes in quite some time. The Indiana Fever won the December draft lottery and will be rewarded with the first overall pick, which in probably every mock draft will have superstar Caitlin Clark being picked. My mock draft will be no different at number 1, but let’s get into why she will be the pick and the rest of the first round projections!
1. Indiana Fever: Iowa’s PG Caitlin Clark
6’0” 31.6 PTS 7.4 REB, 8.9 AST, 0.5 BLK, 1.7 STL
Easily the best player in this class. Clark is the Steph Curry of women’s basketball and has shattered seemingly every record in college basketball. The 6 foot point guard is one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen, making 37.8% of her threes this season, while consistently taking and making logo three pointers. Her 31.6 PPG this season, easily led the country and is the fourth highest average ever. The part of Clark's game that gets overshadowed by her scoring is how advanced of a passer she is. She averaged 8.9 assists per game, and that number should grow as she plays with better players in the pros. For the Fever, pairing Clark with last year’s number one overall pick, Aliyah Boston, is an ideal fit that should allow them to be contenders for years to come.
2. Los Angeles Sparks: Stanford’s PF/C Cameron Brink
6’4” 17.4 PTS, 11.9 REB, 2.8 AST, 3.7 BLK, 0.8 STL
Los Angeles’ consolation prize after missing out on Caitlin Clark is a pretty good one, as Cameron Brink is an outstanding player that changes the game down low. Brink is an intimidating shot blocker, whose 3.7 blocks per game was the best in the country. She is also a very good rebounder with an impressive and improving offensive game. She is a great finisher around the rim, adept at attacking off the dribble, and has a nice jump shot. Her splits of 51% from the field, 30% from 3, and 83.6% from the line showcase a smart player whose jumper is bound to improve. If her shooting does develop, she could be one of the most versatile frontcourt players in the league. The Sparks need all the talent they could get, and Brink is a cornerstone type player.
3. Chicago Sky (via Phoenix): South Carolina’s C Kamilla Cardoso
6’7” 14.4 PTS, 9.7 REB, 2.0 AST, 2.5 BLK, 0.6 STL
Cardoso is a dominating defensive big with great size and a developing offensive game. She is coming off of South Carolina’s undefeated season, in which her defense was a driving force in their championship run. At 6’ 7”, Cardoso is a great shot blocker, but what makes her a great prospect is how well she moves in that large frame. She is quick enough to stay in front of most guards when she is switched on to them, allowing her to never get run off the court. Her straight line speed paired with her size allows her to get many chase down blocks, and recover anytime she is beat. On offense, she is a good finisher, who should mainly be used in the pick and roll, but she seems to be improving in the post. Her defense makes her floor very high, and if she can develop a more polished post game, she could become the best center in the league.
4. Los Angeles Sparks (via Seattle): Tennessee’s SF Rickea Jackson
6’2” 20.2 PTS, 8.2 REB, 2.3 AST, 0.2 BLK, 0.7 STL
The Sparks have a chance to add two cornerstone pieces in this draft with their two top four picks. Adding Rickea Jackson’s dynamic scoring ability next to Cameron Brink’s dominant defense would give the LA a great start to their rebuild. Jackson is the second best scorer in this class. Her fadeaway jumper is deadly and she can get to it at any time. Her impressive handle allows her to knock down shots off the dribble. Her lack of assists might limit her ceiling, but her scoring ability makes it likely she develops into an all star level player.
5. Dallas Wings (via Chicago): UCONN’s PF Aaliyah Edwards
6’3” 17.6 PTS, 9.2 REB, 2.1 AST, 1.0 BLK, 1.7 STL
Aaliyah Edwards is a more all around prospect, whose only real hole in her game is her 3 point shooting, or lack thereof. She shot and missed her only three point shot this season. She did develop a good midrange shot, and also shot 77% from the line, so there is hope she can extend her range. She is a good scorer as a driver and in the midrange right now, so it’s hard to envision a world in which Edwards doesn’t become at least a good player for Dallas, eventually replacing 32 year old Natasha Howard.
6. Washington Mystics: LSU’s PF Angel Reese
6’3” 18.6 PTS, 13.4 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.0 BLK, 1.9 STL
Angel Reese was a major star at LSU, and I fully expect that to continue in the WNBA. Reese is the best rebounder in the country, even though she stands at just 6’ 3”. Reese is a massive difference maker on the defensive end, as she consistently gets into passing lanes and also has quick enough hands to pick many player’s pockets. Offensively, is where she needs to develop the most. She is a good mid range shooter, a capable ball handler, and has great vision. If she develops more of a post game, and expands her range to the three point line, she could be the biggest steal in the draft. If not, she could peak as a mid-tier starter. The Mystics will be hoping she can be the former and help replace Elena Delle Donne.
7. Minnesota Lynx: Ohio State’s PG Jacy Sheldon
5’10” 17.8 PTS, 3.2 REB, 3.8 AST, 0.2 BLK, 1.9 STL
Jacy Sheldon is a great three point shooter and a good defender. The Lynx need a point guard and Sheldon should step in as a capable starter right away. She shot 37.3% from three and 85.8% from the line. Sheldon also has quick hands and quick feet, which allow her to excel on the perimeter on defense, where she constantly is in passing lanes racking up deflections. There are some injury concerns as she missed 16 games two season's ago, due to a lower leg injury. As long as Sheldon can stay healthy, she will be a very good point guard in the league.
8. Chicago Sky: Utah’s PF Alissa Pili
6’2” 21.4 PTS, 6.6 REB, 2.4 AST, 0.8 BLK, 0.9 STL
Pili is the women’s version of Zach Randolph. She is a bulky power forward who can go to work against taller bigs on the low post. She uses her lower body strength and low center of gravity to her advantage. She showed dominance in the low post at Utah, even against Cardoso, scoring 37 points in her game against South Carolina. Pili's shooting is also impressive, as she shot an outstanding 40.4% from three this year, which makes her potential pairing next to Cardoso so enticing. She’s not much of a defender, which limits her ceiling, but hopefully Chicago’s first pick, Cardoso in this mock, can make up for that.
9. Dallas Wings (via Atlanta): UCLA’s G Charisma Osborne
5’9” 13.9 PTS, 5.2 REB, 4.0 AST, 0.3 BLK, 1.6 STL
Dallas is getting a high IQ player and a pesky perimeter defender in Charisma Osborne. Osborne is always in the right position and has the quick feet needed to stay in front of guards. On offense, her jump shot and overall game is still improving. She is a good finisher with an above average handle. Her jump shot is not great, as she shot just 32.2% from three this year, but her increasing free throw percentage, 89.2% this year, showcases good touch. As a fifth year senior, she’s older than most other prospects, but her floor should be enticing to Dallas.
10. Connecticut Sun: Australian PF Nyadiew Puoch
6’3” 18.8 PTS, 9.5 REB, 3.5 AST, 0.8 BLK, 2.5 STL
The Sun are a very talented team who were probably hoping Osborne was still available for them, as they need a defensive guard. Instead, they go with the high upside foreigner in Puoch. The Australian forward has good size, great ball handling skills and a solid looking jump shot, even though her percentages were not great in the NBL. Puoch is just 19 years old, so her game should still be growing. She could be the eventual replacement for 36 year old DeWanna Bonner.
11. New York Liberty: Australian PG Isobel Borlase
5’11” 15.6 PTS, 4.7 REB, 2.5 AST, 0.6 BLK, 1.8 STL
The Australians have taken over back to back picks. Borlase is hard to mock because there is a chance she doesn’t play in the WNBA this season, and is instead a draft and stash type player. Borlase is still an exciting prospect, at just 19 years old, Borlase has an exciting mix of shooting and playmaking. She offers solid size at point guard and would be a nice backup behind star Sabrina Ionescu. I believe the Liberty would be willing to take a gamble on the Australian, considering just how talented their roster already is.
12. Las Vegas Aces: Virginia Tech’s C Elizabeth Kitley
6’6” 22.8 PTS, 11.4 REB, 1.8 AST, 2.1 BLK, 0.6 STL
The Aces can easily go best player available, after winning back to back titles, which Elizabeth Kitley is, but I also think Kitley fills a need at Center. Kitley could allow forward A’Ja Wilson, and Candace Parker to stay at their more natural PF position more often. Kitley is a good scorer out of the post, and the most impressive part about her game is her ‘Dirk fadeaway.’ She uses this fadeaway consistently and has the shooting ability to make it deadly. Her fadeaway is just part of the reason she averaged over 22 points per game, as the rest of her post game is very polished. The only problem with Kitley is that she isn't always the most physical center, but her 6’ 6” size should allow her to still be a capable rebounder and defender at the next level.
Photos by Cliff Jette (AP Photos), Nell Redmond (AP Photos), Eric Gay (AP Photos), Michael Hickey (Getty Images), Utah Athletics, and Jalynn Nash
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